


Let Your Faith Guide Your Faith

by MayQueen517



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: F/M, Female Friendship, Friendship Is The Best Ship, Gen, Jaegers, Lady Danger, Merry Christmas Saellys!, pick and choose your canon (though the dates have been followed fairly closely)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-20
Updated: 2014-12-20
Packaged: 2018-03-02 08:42:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2806397
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MayQueen517/pseuds/MayQueen517
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They stand in silence, arm to arm as Alison sighs happily. She smells of grease, a smear of it on her hands; Mako wonders which Jaeger team she was helping out. </p><p>“You’ve got big plans,” Alison says idly, watching Mako intently. Mako smiles to herself, leaning against Alison companionably. </p><p>“I have big things to do,” she replies quietly, letting Alison slide an arm around Mako’s waist, leading her off of the floor.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Your Faith Guide Your Faith

**Author's Note:**

  * For [saellys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/saellys/gifts).



> I took my inspiration from Request 3, which was ladies being friends and engineers together (mainly Mako and Alison but any other PacRim ladies I wanted to included here fair game) and I ran with it. This was a labor of love from start to finish and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it! 
> 
> Merry Christmas, Saellys! 
> 
> (Title from 'Carry Your Will' by The Mowgli's)

The Panama Shatterdome is closing.

Mako stares at the news on her tablet, the weak lights from the mess hall suddenly glaring and harsh as she thinks of the Jaegers stationed there and with a rush of air from her chest, she jerks away from the table. Her breakfast gets left behind as she grabs her tablet and runs for the Choi’s quarters.

Alison Choi is one of the best munitions experts in any of the Shatterdomes and Mako can remember learning about guidance systems and calibration from her when she first came to the Anchorage Shatterdome. She and Tendo have been Mako's advisers for the restoration of Lady Danger and with the newest update running through her mind, Mako pays no attention to the hour (early enough to barely see the sun, but obviously later than Mako herself would rise) as she knocks on the steel door.

Tendo opens the door, halfway between waking up and getting ready for his morning shift. He blinks at her, abandoning his bow-tie in favor of opening the door.

"Mako? Everything okay?"

"They're shutting Panama down," she says in a rush as Alison comes into view, robe falling open around her sleep shorts and tank top. Her hair is a mess, hanging over wide eyes.

"What are they doing with the Jaegers there?" Alison asks as Mako steps into the room, handing over the tablet. Alison swipes through the news stories quickly, skimming the pertinent details. Her mouth tightens in annoyance at the news that the PPDC has scheduled them for dismantling.

"This is bullshit," Alison says suddenly, the words exploding out of her as Tendo leans over her shoulder to read. They seem quiet and content in a way that soothes the frazzled nerves racing through Mako.

"Alison," Mako says, carefully, mind still poring over the problem of new plasma cannons for Lady Danger, "we could use Corinthian's cannons."

Alison stops, mid-rant, looking up at her. Her expression is slightly betrayed and interested and Mako knows that it was, in better times, taboo to immediately start thinking of parts. Mako, however, is a year into her restoration and there are no Jaegers to spare plasma cannons and with funding being cut, Mako (and Tendo) cannot see a way to have more manufactured.

"Have you talked to Stephanie and Kennedy?" Alison says, lips pursed and eyes focused on the tablet. There's a faint tremor in her fingers as she pushes her dark hair out of her face. Red streaks gleam in the light of the lamp that sits atop a record player case and Mako cannot help but think of all the times she has listened to classic vinyl in this room with them.

"Not yet," Mako says with relief as Tendo comes over to them, easing the tablet out of Alison's hands to peer over the specs.

"I'll get on that. Mako, go talk to the Marshall and ask his approval, yeah?" Tendo says, gently taking charge as Mako grimaces, a frown tightening her face before she shakes her head.

"I will be doing both," Mako says, meeting Tendo's eyes. He hesitates before nodding, holding his hands up in surrender as Mako looks to Alison. She does not require approval even as she waits for Alison to nod slowly.

"It's our best option," Alison says finally.

Mako spends a few moments more talking softly with Tendo as Alison steps into the bathroom (one of the few luxuries afforded to them both) before she excuses herself.

The hallway is cold and full of people, hurrying to their posts for the start of a new shift. She stands outside the set of rooms that are allocated for Marshall business. She hesitates in the doorway before rapping on the steel door with her knuckles; the sound (hollow and similar to a bell) catches his attention and when he looks to meet her eyes, she can see his expression warm.

"Ms. Mori," he says, respectfully (he has always been respectful; even as a young man, visiting her in a crowded orphanage, reassuring her that the year would be up before they both knew it), "come in."

She steps inside, closing the door behind herself at his nod. In his quarters, there is a change that happens. He holds himself less stiffly and his expression is no longer closed off; instead it turns warm and welcoming as she lowers herself into a chair across from his desk. This month, they are in Hong Kong and his quarters have a soothing pond that fills the silence comfortably. With the door closed and the warm expression on his face, she relaxes slowly.

"Tea?" he asks softly, examining her face. It's only lunchtime and she shakes her head briefly.

"Later," she promises, watching him nod. She would love nothing more than to sink into the familiarity of Sensei and student but for now, she is a Ranger without a Jaeger and he is her Marshall.

"I need to speak with you about the restoration project," she says as he nods. He reaches for his own tablet, pulling it over before he locates the file. They sit like this some nights across from one another, comparing and making notes. This has been her project, one that he had proudly presented to her, and she takes the same pride in sitting across from him to speak about this project.

"Good or bad news?" he asks neutrally.

"A bit of both, I think," she says, send him Alison's report on Lady Danger's plasma cannons. Mark-3s were, in Mako’s mind, the most flawed generation of Jaegers. From their code - bulky and requiring far too long to boot up - to the sheer design of them. The design had sacrificed space for better aesthetics and it had lead to many problems that could have been repaired from Jaeger to Jaeger. These flaws, as well as the Mark-3 being the first Jaeger to be mass-produced, made many of the remaining Mark-3s obsolete with the Mark-4s.

"So, according to Mrs. Choi, using a Mark-3’s cannons for a replacement is not recommended," Sensei says levelly, watching Mako. She nods, pulling up the schematics on her own tablet before he speaks again, "I want to hear your assessment."

She rests the tablet on her leg, glancing down at the figures for a moment before she clears her throat, looking back up.

"I think the Mark-3s are terrible. They have flaws that require too many hours of work to repair simple issues. The code provides too much of a lag as well as the cannons not being as effective due to the design. They do not have proper radiation shielding due to inferior materials. I agree with Mrs. Choi on this issue for the simple reason as using a plasma cannon from a related Mark-3 is not feasible."

"So, you could not repair the radiation shielding here with a fabrication permit?" Sensei says mildly as Mako recognizes it for what it is. In the first year, waiting at an orphanage (and, later, at her family's home) for the necessary checks to be done and Sensei's adoption application to clear, he would send her simple and short messages. They were sets of problems, easy to answer in her allotted time but a connection. They allowed her to think critically, to let herself get away (if only for five minutes) from the orphanage and the family who didn't want her. Mako mulls the question over slowly before humming to herself, a habit picked up from Alison.

"A fabrication permit would be welcome," she says carefully, "but it would not be enough. The inherent Mark-3 issues are enough that it would require fabricating two new plasma cannons; However, I do not feel - with what I imagine will be time constraints - that we would find it in our best interests to make use of a fabrication permit."

"So what is your solution?" he asks, a smile playing over his face in the light of his quarters. It is like any other morning when they have the chance to take breakfast together as Mako warms to her answer.

"Panama is closing and Hydra Corinthian will be going to Oblivion Bay within the month. I feel that it would be in our best interests to replace Lady Danger’s synapse system with one closer to a Mark-4 and ask for permission to repurpose Hydra Corinthian's plasma cannons. We can reduce work for our techs, keep the cost low, and still receive the best for the restoration," she says, folding her hands in her lap over the tablet as she finishes. The soft burble of water takes up the entire room as Sensei pores over the information. She picks her tablet up and sends the specs to Hydra Corinthian's plasma cannons to his. The plans are full of her own notes; a small scribble beside the cannons on their size (smaller, but far more efficient) that’s meant more for Alison than Sensei.

Sensei is quiet for a moment, considering the plans carefully before he looks up and meets her eyes. She sees the corner of his lip twitch and he nods once; a smile teasing itself around his face.

"You and Mrs. Choi create a proposal; have to me by tomorrow morning."

"And about contacting LaRue and Lanphier?"

He smiles, the facade of Marshall slowly closing back in as the clock ticks over to one, "We'll concern ourselves with that following your proposal," he says, standing as she does the same. They exit his quarters together, his soft murmur of a goodbye the only thing she hears before they part.

Mako stares down at her tablet, feeling a grin stretch across her face as she starts drafting the proposal on her way to the Shatterdome floor for her shift.

===

Mako finds Alison inside an ordinance tube, voice echoing as she curses. It echoes across the Shatterdome floor and Mako can see a couple of techs exchanging money. Mako cradles her tablet closer as Alison scoots backwards out of the tube, covered in soot and grease and god knows what else. There's a swipe of it across her nose and under her eye as she straightens up, grinning sheepishly.

"What's up, lady?" Alison asks, reaching over to sign the clipboard that hangs nearby. She leaves a smear of black across the clipboard and shrugs it off. Mako clears her throat, pulling up the blank file on her table before she smiles.

"We have to draft a proposal. I'll submit it to the Marshall tonight," Mako says as Alison whoops, throwing her hands into the air and promptly cursing as one of her gloves goes flying.

"Shit, Flynn'll have my ass. But that's awesome, Mako!" Alison exclaims, squeezing the arm of Mako's jumpsuit. She makes a wide-eyed 'oops' expression at the hand-print left behind as Mako rolls her eyes, laughing to herself. They walk quietly together, Mako thinking through all the necessary elements for her proposal.

Alison showers quickly as Mako drafts a few bullet points, chewing on the stylus idly as the door opens in a burst of steam. Alison hops into her pants awkwardly, shirt hanging open over her torso as Mako looks up.

"What about," she huffs as she buttons her pants, shoving her feet into her work boots as they flap open, "LaRue and Lanphier?"

"He said we'd take care of that after the proposal," Mako says as Alison nods. She buttons her shirt and runs her fingers through her hair, tossing her towels into the laundry chute.

"What if we asked LaRue and Lanphier to help oversee the transfer? It would be in their official capacity and wouldn't require extra people," Alison says as she and Mako step out of the showers, waving to other techs going in. Mako hums, making a note.

"Do you think the Council will allow it?" Mako asks as Alison shrugs, leading both of them back to hers and Tendo's quarters.

"Good PR, saves money; what's not to allow?"

"I'll make a note," Mako says as Alison unlocks their door, stepping inside with Mako following. The room is far neater than earlier in the morning and Mako knows that Tendo must have straightened up. Alison sweeps her damp hair into a ponytail as she holds up a kettle, wiggling it invitingly.

"Tea?"

"Sure," Mako says as Alison fills it up. It had been a gift from Tendo, Mako remembers. He had presented to her with a flourish and tea had always been offered whenever Mako would come over, even before he and Alison were married.

"What are you thinking?"

"Rewiring the cannons will be difficult, time-consuming, and costly. So will replacing the synapse systems. The cannons are also smaller, so we will have to find a way to compensate for the size difference."

"And?" Alison prompts.

"The code will have to be redone. The issue with the Mark-3s is as much the coding as the hardware," Mako says, as Alison huffs out a laugh, nodding. Alison busies herself with the mugs, the clinking of chipped porcelain as much of a soundtrack for Mako's childhood as the sound of a Shatterdome floor settling.

"Well, the code is easily settled, yeah?"

"Dr. Gottlieb and I have already exchanged emails on this, yes," Mako says absently as Alison arches an eyebrow. Mako shrugs and smiles at her.

"He owed me one after Vanessa's birthday," Mako says, pleased.

Alison snorts, high-fiving her as she hands over a chipped mug that warms her hands.

"So that's coding taken care of," Alison muses. Mako takes a sip of her tea, the warmth more of a comfort than the flavor as she doodles on her tablet.

"Yes. Now for the proposal itself," Mako agrees, curling her leg under herself.

===

The tech lounge of the Los Angeles Shatterdome is, despite it all, one of the best places to get work done. It's surrounded by various workshops and quarters so it's never completely quiet, but nobody bothers Mako when she sits at the table. She writes her proposal in relative silence as Flynn wanders in, nodding to her before they begin to set up a batch of rice to cook.

"Want some?" they offer, sweeping silver streaked hair out of their face. Mako can see faded streaks of purple through the fall of hair as Flynn measures out their own portion. Mako nods, murmuring her thanks as she puts the finish touch on her conclusion. She scans through it, frowning before looking up.

"Would you look through this for me?" Mako asks them as they nod, eagerly taking the tablet. They read through it as Mako walks around the lounge, stretching. It's only been a few hours but for her, it feels like days, as Flynn hums. The rice cooker blinks and both of them walk over to divide the rice between them.

Sitting at the table, Flynn gestures to her tablet.

"Tighten up some of your phrasing and I think you'll have it," Flynn says through a mouthful of rice as Mako looks up, blinking. She looks at them before it clicks and she looks down at her tablet.

"How so?" she asks, picking at her own rice (the rice cooker stays together with sheer hope, she's pretty sure, but it still cooks a decent batch of rice). Flynn reaches over with their stylus to underline a section of phrasing on her tablet.

"Either take this out or rephrase it somewhere else. It's about LaRue and Lanphier, right?" they ask, twirling their stylus as Mako nods. She peers down at it, frowning mutinously.

"It's about their assistance, yes."

Flynn hums thoughtfully, "Put that in your section on transport so it leads into your section on the breakdown of work hours," Flynn says as Mako blinks at them. Flynn grins and shrugs, "I've heard you and Alison talking about it. If you want, I can look it over some more while you eat."

Mako sighs, looking down at her bowl of rice; picking idly at her food. She watches Flynn takes their own dishes to the washing station while Mako leans over her tablet. She finishes her thought, scanning over the words before she swipes left, sending it to Flynn's tablet.

"Thank you, Flynn."

"Hey, no problem, Mori. We all wanna see you succeed with this, you know?" Flynn says, drying their hands before picking up their abandoned tablet. Flynn sits across from her as she starts to eat, waiting for them to continue speaking.

"A lot of us," Flynn says finally, putting the tablet down. "and I do mean a lot of us, really wanted to be where you are. Potential pilots. And a lot of us found out that that wasn't something for us. But it's something for you and we all want to see you succeed. So if I - and others - can help, we're more than willing to do that."

Mako fights the urge to duck her head; instead she reaches over to squeeze their hand and give them a bright smile. "I appreciate that. Thank you, Flynn," she replies. Part of her wonders just how many people around her wished, at one point, to be a pilot.

"Okay, so," Flynn says, clearing their throat, "You need some work on Council-speak, but I marked all those. They like it all to be as dry as possible and really concise. Short sentences without any kind of embellishment. I marked those too, but you've got a pretty solid proposal," they finish with an easy swipe to send the file back to Mako with their notes.

Mako accepts the file with a quick tap of her screen before she carries her dishes to the washing station. She makes quick work of it before grabbing a towel to dry her hands. She leans against the counter fidgeting before she speaks, "Flynn, would you mind sending your recommendations for techs to Commander Choi? He's overseeing a lot of this and has the final say."

"You don't want to do that?" Flynn asks, a smile lurking in the corners of their mouth as Mako shakes her head, smiling softly.

"All hands on deck, Flynn. Includes you," she says, squeezing their shoulder as she gathers her tablet into her arms, slinging her bag onto her shoulder. She walks out of the tech lounge, waving to Flynn, watching them smile at themselves broadly. She feels lighter even as she scrawls out a quick note to send to both Chois and she heads to her quarters.

Her quarters are some of the last in the hallway and she gives distracted smiles to those she passes. Stepping through the door, she immediately turns the small space heater on, taking the chill off of the room. Mako sits down at her desk, ignoring the half-finished models waiting for her to have some spare time. With the proposal in front of her, Mako loses herself into editing the proposal before she sends it off to Sensei.

The room is marginally warmer as she attaches a note to the e-mail, promising to come and meet him tomorrow for tea (his version, not hers, she adds with a smile to herself). The system pings as Mako brings up the playlist made especially for her by Sasha. Ukrainian hard house thumps through her quarters as she picks up one of the models, studying it. Coyote Tango was always a gorgeous Jaeger and the miniature model is accurate, even down to the scratches Sensei and Tamsin received while fighting Onibaba. Mako shrugs off her jumpsuit, changing into pajamas easily as she turns her playlist up; she picks up her tools and works on finishing the model.

The playlist fills the room and while it's short, it lets her relax into putting some final touches on the model. She makes a note to apply the last few details tomorrow, taking a picture with her phone, sending it to Tamsin.

_I was thinking you might like the finished product! <3 mako ___

__Mako sets her tablet up to charge, pulling her covers back and pulling a book off of the shelf nearby as she settles in. Her nights are quiet; a sharp contrast to her busy days. Mako lets the peace of her quarters (quiet, save for the hum of the space heater) wash over her. She opens her book to the last page read even as her phone chirps with a response from Tamsin._ _

___Love it!! For him or me?_ _ _

____You, of course. How are you?_ _ _ _

____I had a good day. How are you, love?_ _ _ _

____Tired. Already in bed. Glad you had a good day._ _ _ _

____Me too. Go to sleep and tell the grumpy bastard to let me know he's alive. Love you. -T_ _ _ _

____I will. Love you too. <3 mako_ _ _ _

___She thumbs through the text messages, smiling at the affection that radiates from the words on her screen. Tamsin had always been effusive in her affection even upon their first meeting (Mako, small and terrified but eager to meet this woman who sounded more and more like a Valkyrie the more that Mako heard of her from Sensei. Tamsin, sick but beaming with hair as vibrant as her smile). Mako sets her phone down, settling back in bed with her book._ _ _

___As guides go, she has heard that it is one of the best guides on modern sword-making that exists still. She remembers the smell of her father's forge and the sound of him hammering the blades out, showing her how to fold the impurities out of the metal to form a piece of art. She has two swords made by his hand; recovered by Sensei for her as gifts. Her book tells her how to make one, but they don't tell her the lessons her father once taught her. She remembers his smile but not his voice and something in her chest seizes._ _ _

___Her book is a small link between her and her father; triggering memories of his forge. She turns the page, finding herself staring at a page full of pictures detailing each step. Mako's gaze catches on the action of folding the steel, sparks flying and Mako's breath catches._ _ _

___She scrambles for her phone, frantically texting Alison, Tendo, and Sasha._ _ _

____Video chat tomorrow. I want to talk about an addition for the Lady. -Mako_ _ _ _

___===_ _ _

___Mako knows that in the last year - longer, if she's being honest - the restoration project has consumed her thoughts. Everything turns to Lady Danger and she finds herself always with her tablet for notes, even while she does her daily chores. She's on laundry duty for the week and before the video chat with Alison, Tendo, and Sasha, she finds herself pausing in the folding (sheets upon sheets; rough but well-cared for) to type a reminder for herself._ _ _

___The laundry is warm, causing her to sweat lightly as she pulls her hair back, huffing out a breath as the door opens. The newest load goes to the industrial washers as she finishes the last of her batch, dropping them into their labeled bins._ _ _

___"You out of here already?" Vanessa asks, dragging her own load over, starting to fold. Everyone in the Shatterdome for longer than a week has to pull their weight and Mako feels nothing but affection for Vanessa. Vanessa always manages to steal some extra chores, helping those out who hate a certain chore or simply needing something to do._ _ _

___"I was on sheets; it didn't take that long," Mako says, reaching over, pulling a few extra articles of clothing to her side of the table, deciding to stay for company even if it means folding more laundry._ _ _

___"Mako, you don't have to," Vanessa starts as Mako makes a rude noise, grinning as Vanessa rolls her eyes, muttering something about lifers in the Shatterdome._ _ _

___Vanessa has been in and out of Shatterdomes for longer than Mako can remember; she was (and still is, depending on the country, Mako reminds herself) one of the more prominent models for the PPDC recruitment drives. Mako still remembers being in Tokyo and seeing Vanessa (younger, of course, but no less vivacious) on the doors of a recruitment center. She remembers blue hair and a tattoo winding around Vanessa's leg and the words _Do Your Part!_ on the poster and in the time since, Mako has found herself finding a kindred spirit in Vanessa. Mako’s first model set came as a gift from Vanessa, Mako remembers fondly, and the model (a near perfect model of Cherno Alpha; it had lacked the spikes on the feet) still sits on a shelf in her quarters beside rolls of blueprints. They both have always shared a love of tinkering and watching old TV shows and in the past five years, Vanessa has not changed. She even, Mako thinks in amusement, still dresses the same._ _ _

___Today she wears her hair in tight curls, bound into an unruly ponytail, streaks of purple catching the dim light as she folds. She wears an old t-shirt (one of Dr. Gottlieb's, Mako thinks) with a ragged pair of shorts and one of her newest custom cases for her leg prosthesis. She studies the circuitry painted on there and fondly notes the ways in which it is wrong. Vanessa catches her looking as Mako straightens the pile of tech jumpsuits, soft and still warm._ _ _

___"It's awful, isn't it?" Vanessa asks, looking down at the blue and gold paint of the prosthesis that starts just below her left knee. She makes a face._ _ _

___"I was thinking it looked rather appropriate."_ _ _

___Vanessa laughs. "I think it goes with nothing I own. And the circuits aren't accurate," she says with a wrinkle of her nose. Mako snorts, transferring some of the jumpsuits to the appropriate bin as Vanessa begins folding a new pile._ _ _

___"Still. It's lovely," Mako says as Vanessa smiles at her, murmuring her thanks. Mako sits in silence with Vanessa until she has to transfer the newest load of wet laundry to the dryers for the next person's rotation._ _ _

___"What other chores do you have today?" Vanessa asks, helping Mako to roll the full bin over to the wall, lining them up inside the painted square for delivery._ _ _

___"None. At least, nothing on my rota. I submitted a proposal for some restoration stuff this morning, but I'm having a meeting with Tendo, Alison, and Sasha about an addition to the restoration in a little while," Mako says as Vanessa makes an interested noise in her throat, light and pleased and quintessentially English. Mako smiles to herself, thinking of Tamsin making the same noise before she nudges Vanessa with her elbow._ _ _

___"Come to the meeting with me," she says on impulse as Vanessa rewards her with a bright smile and an arm slung companionably around Mako's shoulders. Mako leans into it for a moment, happy for the friendship and affection offered._ _ _

___"Meet you there, yeah?" Vanessa asks as Mako nods, parting ways briefly after a quick hug and directions to the reserved conference room._ _ _

___The restoration project is a culmination of everything she has thought about and wanted since coming to live with Sensei. She thinks about vengeance and the heavy way that Sensei speaks about it to her. Mako thinks of her mother's small hands grafting old bamboo to new, prolonging the life of both. She thinks of her father's forge and the sound of metal on metal as her father lost himself in creating dangerous and beautiful works of art. Mako reminds herself of her family; her parents and Sensei and Tamsin, as well as all the others she's chosen for herself as she sets up the screen._ _ _

___The calls are never the best quality but it has been a long time since she's seen Sasha's face. Sasha who smirked when Mako learned how to hit (and take a hit) during sparring in the Kwoon. Sasha and Aleksis were not her first friends in the Shatterdome (she awards the honor, as it were, to Jin, Hu, and Cheung. Their chatter had filled the silence as she had adjusted as a teenager in the Shatterdome with Sensei) but they have always been ready with brutal encouragement and a different view for when she needs it._ _ _

___Mako pulls out her rough plans; pencil sketches on thin rice paper (the only paper she had had on hand the night before), ideas to be discarded or improved upon. She sits at the table, waiting for the others as she connects to Sasha easily._ _ _

___Sasha's bleach blonde hair is the first thing she sees, bright on the screen as Sasha beams at her._ _ _

___"Myshka!" she says, voice warm and accent strong as Mako huffs out a laugh._ _ _

___"I am not so little any longer."_ _ _

___Sasha makes a rude noise, waving her hand easily, the glint of her rings catching the light, "But you are also not a mouse. How are you, Mako?" she asks. Her hair is down and Mako can see the damp ends trailing beads of water against Sasha's shirt._ _ _

___"I am good. I submitted the proposal for new cannons on the Lady. And I have an addition that I was wanting your advice on," Mako says as the door opens and she hears Tendo's laugh as Vanessa leads the way. Mako looks over her shoulder, grinning at Alison (and her arms full of food; Mako's stomach growls in anticipation of lunch)._ _ _

___"Sasha, when are you and Aleksis coming to bunk up with Ali and I?" Tendo calls out as Sasha laughs; her laugh is as booming as Aleksis' and Mako grins over to Vanessa, murmuring her thanks to Alison as she takes the bowl of soup and a couple of rolls.._ _ _

___"Just as soon as you and Alison come to Russia, Tendo," Sasha says, sparking a laugh from Tendo and Alison._ _ _

___"Well, my lady, I hate to tell you, but that's not happening. He still whines about how cold Alaska is," Alison says, sitting beside Mako as Sasha snorts derisively. Tendo opens his mouth to protest before Sasha barrels on._ _ _

___"So. Addition to the Lady," she says bluntly._ _ _

___"So, I was thinking of last resort weapons. Most of the Jaegers have them but not the Lady," Mako says, passing around the plans and sending the file to Sasha. Sasha hums, nodding. She doesn't check anything yet and Mako knows she'll have an email full of suggestions later._ _ _

___"Is that a bloody sword?" Vanessa exclaims, excitement lighting her face as Mako nods, before continuing._ _ _

___"With the coding issues of the Mark-3s and the new closing of Panama, Alison and I submitted a proposal to the Marshall to use Hydra Corinthian's plasma cannons. But most Jaegers have a secondary weapon and -"_ _ _

___"Wait, coding issue?" Vanessa says, looking up from the proposal draft. She's wearing her glasses and they slide down her nose as Alison looks over at her._ _ _

___"Did you not know about the code?"_ _ _

___"I know that they all share code," Vanessa says as Sasha shakes her head. There's a rustling from Sasha's end as she changes positions. Behind her, Mako can see Aleksis quietly reading, ignoring the screen and Mako smiles to see him, "I didn't know there was an issue."_ _ _

___"It's not so much of an issue with code as it is an issue with production," Mako says, pulling up the preliminary reports that she and Alison had drafted in preparation for defending their proposal. She passes it over to Vanessa, "There were more Mark-3s than any other generation because the PPDC thought that they could be mass produced to save time and cost. But when there is one issue for a generation and there are many in that generation, then there is a huge issue with the code."_ _ _

___Vanessa looks over the reports, fingers sliding over the paper as she follows the sentences easily, lips moving as she reads to herself. Mako looks to Sasha, seeing a slight grimace._ _ _

___"The Mark-3s were shit. Not because of the generation but because they were put together like paper dolls," Sasha says derisively._ _ _

___"But you just said it was a code issue," Vanessa says, looking over to the screen._ _ _

___" _Nyet_. They say code. I say fabrication issue," Sasha says as Alison wrinkles her face into a grimace. Mako shakes her head, meeting Vanessa's eyes._ _ _

___"Either way, code or fabrication, the whole generation has problems. The cannons will always take a few moments to charge but the Lady's take an especially long time. The engineers, I think, failed to take into account the ways in which each crew would tailor the Jaegers to their pilots. There is also an issue with her synapse systems. So, when our proposal is approved, we'll replace the cannons and the synapse system at the same time to improve the Lady and bring her up to date," Mako says as Vanessa nods, pulling her glasses off to clean them. Mako looks over to Sasha and the others, shifting in her chair, pulling up the plans for the sword._ _ _

___"But I want the Lady to have a secondary weapon. Most of the newer Jaegers - and even the older ones - have a secondary weapon; a last resort, if you will," Mako says, looking over to Tendo, seeing a smile resting on his face. Alison is poring over the plans and her pencil is already scribbling notes on the paper, arrows and sketches of her own littering the paper. "Sasha, could you get us the raw materials? You'll be here in two weeks, so I know it's short notice."_ _ _

___"Leave that to me, myshka. It'll be there. What are you thinking?"_ _ _

___"Material wise? I trust your judgement. As far as actual design, I do not know. So I wanted your opinions," Mako says as Vanessa gently punches her arm, grinning._ _ _

___"I think it looks awesome but how are you going to manage your space?"_ _ _

___"That is what I need opinions on," Mako says, motioning to the multiple sketches, "I had some ideas, but nothing that I thought would work. And a few that would require a total rehaul of the cannons and the Lady's arm."_ _ _

___"We don't have time for that," Alison says, looking up to Mako, "I mean, we have _some_ time but only just."_ _ _

___"How much time do we have?" Mako asks._ _ _

___"From now until the next Council meeting? Six months. They'll meet in January, and who knows what they'll decide then," Alison says as Sasha hums quietly._ _ _

___"Are they always like that? The meetings, I mean," she asks as Tendo flips through the pages, giving a shrug._ _ _

___"Somewhat. Depending on what's happened recently usually dictates when they meet but they always have one at the beginning of the year, barring any other attacks. But if they're closing Shatterdomes left and right, Ali's right. You're not going to have long," he says as Mako taps her pencil on the table, looking over to Alison and then to Sasha._ _ _

___"If you start on the addition next month, how long would you need?" Sasha asks as Mako looks to Alison. Alison pushes her hair back, biting her lip as she looks down at the paper._ _ _

___"There's no telling right now. I'd estimate at least a week or two to get the code in. And if we need fabrication, then that'll be at least four months. Maybe less, depending on how we design it," Alison says. Mako worries at the skin of her lip as Vanessa clears her throat, a sketch light on the paper beside Mako's own diagram._ _ _

___"Are you doing to do a blade like Striker's or will it be different?" she asks Mako, reaching for the sketch in front of Tendo, layering it on top of her own, frowning. She makes a few adjustments, showing it to Mako, "If you do a straight blade, you're going to need a complete rehaul. There won't be room on the existing arm, even with Corinthian's cannons."_ _ _

___"Even a curved blade or whatever will require the same room," Tendo says as Vanessa shakes her head, shifting her chair back to let them see her prosthesis._ _ _

___"Under this casing, there's small parts that take different weight. It's compact but it's comfortable. See?" she explains, gently using a pen to pry the decorative casing off and Mako finds herself scooting closer to get a better look._ _ _

___"Tendons!" Sasha exclaims in sudden realization as Mako tilts the camera down so she can see. Vanessa starts and beams._ _ _

___"Exactly! Well, not exactly, but very close!" Vanessa says, grinning as Mako blinks, "It's a support. Cushioned by air but it's support and it's all very compact so I can have the casings. What if you were able to do something like that with the blade?"_ _ _

___The noise of the room fades to a hum as Mako looks to the design that Vanessa had sketched. Her mind whirring, she picks up her own pencil, turning a piece of paper over, sketching lightly and quickly. She erases a few lines, straightening them out as she looks up, meeting Alison's eyes with a wide, breathless grin._ _ _

___"Like a chain," she says, the room coming back into full focus with a roar as Vanessa blinks at her, "Loose when it's not needed but extends when you do. Takes up half the room and needs half the time for fabrication."_ _ _

___"Can we even do that?" Tendo asks as Sasha scoffs, the connection fuzzing for a moment as Aleksis peers over her shoulder, smiling sleepily at Mako. Mako mouths a hello to him as Sasha speaks._ _ _

___"We can do anything, Commander Choi."_ _ _

___===_ _ _

___After the video chat, Mako wanders down to the Shatterdome floor, walking around the feet of Lady Danger. Gazing up to the ruined paint, Mako can see the ways that her plans will change and will lovingly improve on the Jaeger. She stands, finally, in front of Lady Danger, looking critically without emotion and before she can walk away, Mako sees Alison striding towards her._ _ _

___They stand in silence, arm to arm as Alison sighs happily. She smells of grease, a smear of it on her hands; Mako wonders which Jaeger team she was helping out._ _ _

___“You’ve got big plans,” Alison says idly, watching Mako intently. Mako smiles to herself, leaning against Alison companionably._ _ _

___“I have big things to do,” she replies quietly, letting Alison slide an arm around Mako’s waist, leading her off of the floor. The LA Shatterdome is smaller than most of the others (and, more confusing, Mako thinks; being laid out nothing like the other Shatterdomes, Mako feels off-balance more than not) and Alison lead them both to her quarters._ _ _

___“So who are we tapping for this?” Alison asks, pulling out her own tablet, twisting her hair into a ragged bun as Mako curls her feet under her. They sit across from each other in cramped, battered chairs and Mako pulls out the hastily scribbled list from her pocket._ _ _

___“I got as far as you and Tendo, of course, Flynn, and Stephanie and Kennedy. Sasha and Aleksis, of course,” Mako says, absently, peering down at her own list, short though it is. Alison nods, biting her lip as she thinks. Alison’s quarters are warm as Mako slides her cardigan off, draping it over the back of her chair as she settles back in._ _ _

___“Vanessa, I think, will be good for the more delicate wiring,” Alison says as Mako agrees easily, scratching her name onto the paper._ _ _

___“Will we need others? I mean, yes, a main crew for sure, but for general assembly and such, I believe that we do not need as many specialists.”_ _ _

___“You want general crew? Floor crew, I mean?” Alison asks neutrally. Mako nods, meeting Alison’s eyes, thinking of the floor crew’s tense smiles as work begins to dry up with Shatterdomes closing._ _ _

___“As many as possible,” Mako says as Alison’s face brightens, grinning._ _ _

___“A woman after my own heart,” Alison says, foot knocking into Mako’s leg as she shifts forward in her chair, “Now, let’s talk materials.”_ _ _

___===_ _ _

___Dinner with Sensei starts as a strictly formal affair as they both strip away the trappings of their day. With the door closed and the evening light beginning to dim through the window of Sensei's quarters, Mako can feel the day slipping away as she steps out of the room, changing from her tech jumpsuit; the rank falls away and she is no longer anyone but Mako. The sweatpants are old, not originally hers (Jin likes to complain that she steals clothes but he never fails to leave a piece out, available if she wants it) just as the shirt once belonged to Tamsin._ _ _

___She pulls the drawstring tight around her hips, settling into herself once more as she pulls thick socks on. Sensei and dinner with Sensei is about nothing more than comfort. The scent of warming oil fills his quarters as she pads out to the attached set of rooms. He smiles at her then, already in his own sweats and he seems softer than the man who wears the uniform and once wore a drivesuit._ _ _

___He is Sensei and he lets her wrap around him tightly for a fleeting moment as she looks at the oil on the counter-top. Mako had taken on a week's worth of extra laundry shifts as well as a LOCCENT shift in order to barter for that amount, the one luxury that she and Sensei will make with tight rations._ _ _

___"Cut those for me?" he asks, motioning to the potatoes nearby, a bowl of cold water waiting. She murmurs an assent, starting the process. She is keenly aware of the privilege afforded to them both, for this set of quarters with an attached kitchen (small, though it is, she knows that Sensei often allows many of the Shatterdome employees to use the kitchen as a thank you for what they do)._ _ _

___"The potatoes look better than they did last month," she remarks as he grunts in response, looking over._ _ _

___"I went into town for them," he says casually as she blinks over at him. He wipes his hands on his sweatpants before he casts a grave glance her way, "It isn't every day that your daughter's proposal is accepted and approved by the council, now is it?"_ _ _

___Mako's hearing blanks out for a moment, like there’s cotton in her ears as she stares at him, watching his grave expression give way to a pleased smile._ _ _

___"They'll announce it tomorrow for you but I couldn't wait," he says as she gasps hard, feeling as if she's been holding her breath for weeks. She rushes over, hugging him tightly in a show of affection usually restrained. Casual touches of the shoulders or leaning against one another is common; hugs are less so. Sensei hugs her close, pressing his cheek against her hair and she can feel the lost muscle mass as the cancer slowly begins to eat away at him._ _ _

___She pushes that to the back of her mind, stepping back to beam at him._ _ _

___"Did they approve all of it?"_ _ _

___"You mean that great bloody sword?" he asks, grinning as she goes back to washing potatoes, vigorously drying them as she ducks her head with a secret smile. He laughs then, testing the pan and checking the oil as he nods, tossing a kitchen towel over his shoulder, "I argued for it. Mrs. Gottlieb's suggestion of conserving space was one of the deciding factors, I believe."_ _ _

___"I'll pass that along," Mako says, holding her knife poised above the potatoes, "Chips or mash?" she asks, as he looks over at her, face bright and relaxed._ _ _

___"Chips, I think," he says, as she nods and slices the potatoes into the preferred size quickly, dropping them into icy water. She finishes the rest of the potatoes quickly, rinsing her hands and taking the towel from Sensei to dry her hands. Mako looks over at him, smiling as he leans over his tablet, waiting for the oil to heat up._ _ _

___"This is a good proposal," he says, looking over to her, a smile on his face. He closes the cover of his tablet, stepping around her to pull out a package of sausages. She grins at the sight of them, knowing that they are the product of fierce bartering with the Kaidanovskys as Sensei sets them down beside the potatoes._ _ _

___"Flynn and the others helped," Mako says as Sensei nods. She dumps the water from the potatoes, filling it back up with fresh cold water as he leans against the counter. It could be any scene from when she first came to live with him; staying in Hawaii with Tamsin, cooking dinner together when they didn't order take-out (when Tamsin could stomach food), and the questions he would pose to her. Hypothetical questions and problems that were as much to challenger her mind as it was to bring her out of her shell._ _ _

___He reaches for her, bringing an arm around her shoulders; it is almost uncommonly affectionate for him but Mako knows that Tamsin is having more good days than bad and it seems, for the moment, that things are looking up. She leans into him, resting her head against him with a soft, pleased sigh._ _ _

___"Sensei?"_ _ _

___"Hmm?"_ _ _

___"I want to bring as many people to Hong Kong as possible," she says, looking up at him. He peers down at her._ _ _

___"You think we'll be going to Hong Kong?" he asks neutrally as she hums to herself in thought. She bites her lip before shifting on her feet, leaning into him a little more before she nods._ _ _

___"They have the fabrication capabilities and it is the largest. Provided there are enough Jaegers, it is most central for the areas requiring the most protection," she says as he huffs out a pleased, easy sound, tipping his head against hers lightly._ _ _

___"We'll see," he says with a resigned sigh as he moves away from her, turning to their food. He claps his hands and rubs them together with barely disguised glee, "Now. I'm bloody starving, so hand me the veg, yeah?"_ _ _

___She laughs, handing him the bowl of potatoes before she takes the tray of sausages. They move together and around each other with an ease born of evenings spent cooking together. Mako finds herself talking about the process of the application and of Alison's gentle guiding hand. She tells him about reading about swords and texting Tamsin._ _ _

___They cook easily and quickly, talking and laughing as he tells her stories from his own days of piloting. They eat on the small couch in his sitting room, comfortable beneath blankets with an old sci-fi show playing on the tablet as background noise._ _ _

___With her legs stretched over Sensei's lap, she feels a warm sort of lassitude steal over her limbs as she drifts in and out. Mako thinks over the last week as she falls asleep to the sounds of Sensei's soft, whistling snores and the final moments of a captain's monologue._ _ _

___===_ _ _

___The news of her proposal's acceptance sweeps the Shatterdome and Mako finds that she can't go further than a few feet before someone is congratulating her. The excited relief on their faces is more than enough to stall any annoyance as everyone pitches in to get Lady Danger ready for the arrivals of Hydra Corinthian's cannons._ _ _

___In an old jumpsuit (that once belonged to Alison; handed over with a fond smirk the morning before), Mako meets up with both Sasha and Aleksis, grinning up at them as Sasha squeezes her in lieu of a greeting._ _ _

___"Ready to work, myshka?" Aleksis rumbles, his accent catching over his words as he ruffles her hair, already pulled back. She grins, waving to Tendo who's walking by, showing a new transfer around. He waves back, winking outrageously to Sasha and Aleksis, garnering laughter from them both._ _ _

___"Always," Mako says, letting Sasha help her into a harness. The three of them work quickly and easily, stripping the old synapse system from the Jaeger, bantering back and forth. The synapse cables are light as Mako tosses them into a pile just behind Aleksis. Over the course of the work, she picks up at least three brand new Russian insults and a lightness suffuses her work as she drifts close first to Sasha and then to Aleksis. The work is quick, especially with the imminent arrival of Stephanie and Kennedy. Mako rips the last few feet, feeling them coil around her wrist as though they were alive and she grimaces. She, along with Sasha and Aleksis, make their way down to the floor and Mako finds herself gazing up to the heart of Lady Danger._ _ _

___Aleksis slings an arm around her as Sasha grins through a rough kiss she plants on Mako's cheek, leaving a smear of red behind as Mako laughs and wipes it off. There's chaos on the floor as Mako hears her name, courtesy of Alison. Alison's beaming and following behind her at a more sedate pace are Flynn, Vanessa, and Tendo._ _ _

___Mako lets herself lean into Vanessa and Alison as Sasha and Tendo get distracted by technical talk. The remaining few feet of the old synapse system hang from Mako's hand but she ignores it in favor of pulling Flynn over as they fling their arms around Mako and the others. She puts her head on Alison's shoulder even as she squeezes Vanessa's arm, beaming._ _ _

___Mako watches her crew and the rest of the Shatterdome floor as an easy peace settles her racing heart, leaving her ready for whatever else the day might bring._ _ _


End file.
